Christian Rainone, president of the El Libro Foundation: "We are very happy with the results."

Christian Rainone looks relaxed in the video he recorded this Saturday inviting the public to visit the 49th Buenos Aires International Book Fair . The new president of the El Libro Foundation , organizer of the fair, already knew he was having a successful debut at the helm of the country's most massive cultural event and one of the region's benchmarks. After the disaster of 2024, the number of visitors and sales figures improved, and Rainone is part of that upswing: "We are very happy with the results of this Fair," he told the media this afternoon.

Rainone is no stranger to the book world. Before presiding over the El Libro Foundation, he was a member of the Argentine Chamber of Publications (CAP) and is the president and CEO of Editorial Guadal Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, with a significant presence throughout Latin America, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking United States. He has published more than 4,000 titles, with rights sold and co-published in countries such as Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania, among others. In other words, he knows what it means for the Fair to be a success or a disaster.

“This year, the Fair attracted 10% more visitors than in the 2024 edition. Our challenge for the 50th edition will be to add more offerings, more experiences, more audiences, more innovation , and thus contribute to the Fundación El Libro by creating more readers and continuing to strengthen our magnificent publishing industry,” he added to the media.

Although the final assessment is yet to be finalized, Rainone responded to a brief exchange with Clarín this afternoon, hours before the closing of this edition of the Book Fair.

–Although the final numbers aren't in yet, what are your initial impressions at this final stage of the Fair in terms of attendance and sales?

–We increased the number of visitors to both the public and professional venues by 10%. This year, ticket prices were more affordable, resulting in a 20% increase in ticket sales.

Regarding sales, during the trade fairs, domestic shipments increased by 32%, while shipments abroad fell by 40% (due to the current value of the dollar). Regarding retail sales, unit increases of between 20% and 40% were seen, and at Conabip, they increased by up to 50%.

–Your administration made clear commitments to incorporating innovation this year. How was it received, and what were the most successful initiatives?

–The innovations were very well received; the youth spaces and streaming area were a success. LED communication helped us keep the fair's programming up-to-date, as evidenced by the packed rooms for almost every talk.

–What moments during these three weeks gave you optimism about the situation in the sector, and which ones made it clear that the crisis is still here?

–Seeing so many children and young people enjoying this fair gives us a lot of optimism for the long term. The increase in the Fair's numbers demonstrates a recovery in the sector. I'm concerned about the fair's internationalization; today, it depends heavily on the value of our currency, so we have to work to ensure our fair also becomes a benchmark for rights sales in the future.